Almost Home
by potterfan36041
Summary: A Power Rangers work is never done and as Tommy Oliver fights a losing battle, he realizes there is only one thing that he wants in this world. The home that had been abandoned 19 years before.
1. Chapter 1

AN: THIS STORY IS A BIT OF A DEPARTURE FOR ME, THEREFORE THE CHARACTERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE THE NICE HAPPY SELVES THAT YOU ARE USED TO IN MY STORIES. NONE OF US KNOW WHAT TOMMY AND KIM WOULD DO TO EACH OTHER IF THE AUTHORS OF THE SERIES HAD THEIR WAY, SO IF YOU PLEASE, I DO NOT NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT THEY ARE OUT OF CHARACTER. THIS FIRST CHAPTER IS A LITTLE BIT OUTLANDISH AS IT IS, THEY'LL CALM DOWN SOME, I PROMISE.

"Your mother is likely to skip out on this little shindig," Tommy muttered to his eighteen year old daughter as she glared over at him. They did not talk about her mother that often, but considering what she had been called for, Amy had been sure she would show, just to prove her dad wrong. "You know it's the truth Amy."

"I think if you had told her I was dying we might have gotten the same reaction," Amy said as Tommy looked over at her. She and her mother did not exactly have the best relationship in the world. She was left on his front door step when she was three months old with a note from his one time lover that she could no longer handle being a mother by herself. He had not even known that she was pregnant until Amy had been placed there and he had just taken her in. For years Amy had wondered who her mother was, until the last time they had had a meeting like this and they had finally met. That had been ugly, but at least the animosity was out in the open.

"Amy, she does care about you," Tommy said, hoping it was true. He had never sat down with her and given her a piece of his mind about the matter, but it wasn't like her to give him that sort of chance.

"Like a snake cares about its children," Amy forced out as Conner McKnight walked in and looked between Dr. Oliver and his daughter. She had been about ten when he had been a ranger and he wondered if she even remembered who he was or more importantly knew why they were all being called here. "Hello Conner."

"Amy," Conner said with a little nod as Kira Ford and Ethan James followed him in. They could only guess why Dr. O would want to hold the meeting at the school, but they were not going to argue with him about it, after all this was his specialty, not theirs.

* * *

As the five of them marched across the front lawn of the school, they gathered odd looks from the students that had stayed late that day. They could all sense the energy that radiated off of these five people, but did not dare to get close to them, mainly because of the petite brunette who was leading the way. She looked ready to kill the moment one of them was dumb enough to open his or her mouth and question them.

"Where is Tommy Oliver's room?" Kim asked as the receptionist looked up, shocked to see her standing in front of her again. The last time that this woman had stood there, she had seen the two Oliver's have it out in the hallway moments later.

"The same place it was the last time you visited," the receptionist said coldly. "And I doubt he wishes to see you."

"He'll always wish to see me, that's partly why he gave me his last name," Kim said with a mock smile as she turned and walked back into the hall to collect the others.

"Gave you his last name?" Trini asked as Kim just shook her head. "You never divorced?"

"I never signed the papers," Kim said, simply, as Trini and Jason stared at her while Billy and Zack examined the walls. They had known that Kim and Tommy had never really gotten a divorce, but for all intents and purposes, they might as well have been.

"So you still love him?" Trini asked as she followed Kim down the hall, now fuming at her best friend. If she still loved Tommy then why the hell did she not have anything to do with him or Amy for that matter?

"Love is a funny thing," Kim replied as she rounded the corner and was met by her daughter's glare. She hadn't seen Amy in five years and the girl looked so much like Tommy that it hurt her to see the hatred in her eyes. She would never forgive her for what she had done and she didn't really blame her. After all, she had left her on Tommy's doorstep for another man that had been nothing but loving.

"I guess you decided to show up," Amy said, coldly, as Kim barely nodded, returning a glare of her own. It took a trained eye to know that Kim was only doing this to keep up the pretense that she hated her daughter; it was a lot easier than facing the fact that her daughter didn't love her. "Get inside, you know why you're here."

"This is all that you could get to come Tommy?" Kim mocked as she walked in and saw three rangers, settled in desks. Tommy had used to have more of a pull than this on the ranger elite.

"No," Andros said as he stepped out from the back area of the room. He had seen enough damage be caused because of her over the years and today he was going to let her have a small piece of his mind. "This is all that you could get to come."

"Me?" Kim asked as Tommy folded his arms and watched the two of them. Kim honestly had no idea what danger she was in, but Andros was not going to just let this slide. He had been itching to tear into her for a good decade.

"Yes you, because this time Tommy is not the one in danger, you are," Andros said as Kim looked over at him startled and Amy walked in and slammed the door behind her. The rangers all looked over at her and were shocked when she headed straight for Kim. It seemed that today was going to be about more than just whatever evil was about to befall them next.

"You bitch," Amy seethed as everyone took a step back. They had never thought that the two would come to blows like this, but obviously Kim had just pushed her last button. "I don't give a shit whether you live or die, but he does, that is the only reason that I am here. That is the only reason that my rangers will help, it's time that you realize that Kimberly."

"Amy," Tommy whispered as she stood toe to toe with her mother and Kim just stared up at her.

"I don't give a shit if your rangers protect me," Kim fired back as Amy quirked her eyebrow and looked around the room.

"Well, I guess I need to explain. I'm not saving your sorry ass for myself, I'm saving it because I can't stand to see my dad fall apart when you die. Every time you are captured, he is a mess. Every time he is captured, well, we both know what you did the last time that happened…it's time you get your shit straight, because you don't have much time left. I am your last hope and although you care about me about as much as a stranger on the street, I can't let you die because of him. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go save the world," Amy growled as the others watched her leave and Tommy just placed his hand over his eyes. He knew that this was coming. He knew that there would be a day when Amy unleashed her wrath on her mother and he didn't think that this was something that could be avoided. The two of them had too much bad blood between them and it would take a world of good to change that.

"You brought me here for her to yell at me?" Kim yelled at Tommy as he removed his hands from his face and looked down at her.

"No, I brought you here to keep you safe. You seem to forget the part about promising to protect each other," Tommy said, calmly, as she looked up at him. He still held strong to his wedding vows and she had just about done everything she possibly could against them. "She knows you never signed the papers. You've got a lot of damage to repair."

"Why would I repair it?" Kim asked as Tommy walked over to his desk and sat down before opening a drawer that contained a single envelope from his latest checkup.

"Because I'm dying," Tommy said.


	2. Chapter 2

"Because I'm dying," Tommy stated as Kim stared at him and saw the seriousness in his eyes. She could not believe that the man that had always been her rock was seriously ill. "She doesn't know."

"What do you mean she doesn't know?" Kim asked as the others stood there in shock, quite frankly Jason was surprised that Kimberly had not passed out on them. She was not known for taking bad news well.

"She doesn't know because I'm not going to tell her, it's a hereditary disease and she doesn't have it. I found out about two years ago that I have it and it had progressed too far for them to be able to do anything. I've already lived longer than they thought I would, but they are giving me six months and I would like to see the two of you get along before I die," Tommy said as Kim roughly sat down in a desk and stared at him. She knew that something was different about him when she saw him today. He looked tired and he was thinner than she had seen him in years. She should have been able to add up the symptoms, but she was too mad at him to do that. "How else do you think I talked her into getting her team to look after you?"

"But she doesn't know," Kim said as Tommy just shook his head.

"She knows I'm sick, she doesn't know that they've only given me six months to live," Tommy said, calmly, as all of the rangers stared at him. "I put the call out in your name today, obviously you are going to have to work on your ranger connections."

"Why would I have to do that?" Kim asked as the others looked at her. Wasn't it obvious? Once Tommy was gone there was going to have to be someone to watch after the rangers until Amy was old enough to do the job.

"The rangers tend to have trouble when there is not an Oliver looking over them," Billy stated as Kim looked over at him. "You kept his name, you didn't divorce him, you're still an Oliver."

"It's only by name, why can't Amy do it?" Kim asked as Tommy glared at her and anyone in the nearby vicinity moved away. They all thought that he could light things on fire if he got mad enough. None of them planned to get in his way if that was his idea.

"You want to place this on our eighteen year old daughter?" Tommy yelled as Kim just shook her head. "At least act like you give a damn about her, because she's the only thing that stands between you and death."

"I can protect myself Tommy," Kim said, calmly, as he just shook his head. She was so damn stubborn and if Amy had it her way, her team would not have a thing to do with this creep, but that was why he had stepped in. He had to protect Kimberly, even if she didn't want it.

"Not without powers, we both know that Kimberly," Tommy said as she stared over at him. Who had taken the kind man that she had loved and replaced him with this?

"I can fight back," Kim said as Jason sat down in the chair next to her and gently nudged her. "What do you want?"

"You aren't going to be able to fight them, Kim, you are going to have to let Amy do this," Jason said as she stared over at him. She could not believe that he was siding with Tommy on this one, he didn't even think that this was that big of a deal this morning.

"You're taking his side!" Kim yelled, in outrage, as Tommy sank into the seat behind his desk and rested his head in his hands. He was tired, he was sick and he only had one wish that his wife and his daughter would come to terms with each other and at least get along.

"There are no sides here Kim, it's just the fact that he's right. You can't fight like you used to and the only people that can protect you are her rangers, plus, don't you want to have a relationship with her?" Jason questioned as she looked around the room and the tears started to flow.

"She hates me," Kim sobbed as Tommy looked up at her and saw her pleading with him. "I know I did the both of you wrong, but even you don't hate me like that."

"Because I still love you," Tommy whispered as she looked over at him and he let out a sigh. "No one ever said that getting over love is easy, it takes some people a lifetime."

"How is my son doing?" Jason asked, changing the subject as Kim was staring at Tommy. Over the years there had been an unwritten rule between the two of them that neither of them would confess their true feelings for the other. It was easier to act as if they hated each other than admit that they were still desperately in love.

"Max is doing fine, Jason and he knows the full truth, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he tells Amy," Tommy said as Kim looked over at him.

"Have they?" Jason asked as Tommy shook his head no. "Thank goodness."

"I don't think they'll last much longer Jason, I'm just glad she went on birth control without my forcing the pills down her throat every day," Tommy said as Kim's mouth fell open.

"She's having sex!" Kim yelled as Tommy shook his head no. "Then why is she on birth control?"

"Cramps and the fact that she and Max are pretty serious, I did not want to be the one to get the call saying that she was pregnant without being married," Tommy said as Kim tried to form words but couldn't. "You didn't even know she was dating him, did you?"

"No, I had no clue," Kim muttered as Tommy stood and walked over to her, placing his arm around her. "Where did things go so wrong Tommy?"

"You want the honest answer to that?" Tommy asked as Kim shook her head no and he just nodded. He knew that his wife knew what it was, but she was not going to go out on that limb with him today. "You've got to let them help Kim."

"I know," Kim whispered as she clung to him. It had been so long since she had held him and she had forgotten what he felt like and it made her wonder why in the world she had left him in the first place. But she knew why and she also knew why she had never signed the divorce papers, because she loved him as well.


	3. Chapter 3

"She shows up and she acts like she runs the damn place!" Amy yelled as she kneed the punching bag in frustration as Max steadied it from the other side. Amy had come in distraught and headed straight for the punching bag without even a hello. He knew that whatever had gone down today had been bad, but he still could not tell what it was. She had not said a completely coherent sentence in the last few minutes.

"Amy, you're not speaking clearly sweetie," Max said as he walked around in front of the bag and still her hands and forced her to look up at him. "Who?"

"My mother," Amy muttered as the tears clouded her vision and he pulled her into a tight hug. He knew Kimberly because of his parents, but he still could not understand how she could just walk out of her own child's life like that. It didn't seem like something the Kimberly he knew could do, but obviously she had and it was causing his girlfriend a world of hurt now. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, you were three months old," Max whispered as he gently rubbed her back. "But that's not what has you in this fit."

"It's my dad, Max, he just looks so bad. He looks weak all the time and tired and last night he wouldn't even come spar with me. What's going on with my dad?" Amy whispered as he let out a sigh. Tommy had left it up to his digression on telling her the sad truth about her father's health, but he couldn't right now. She was in too much pain to add that much more to it.

"Guys!" Rachel called as Amy's back stiffened, but he held onto her just as tightly. They had tried to keep their relationship quiet amongst the other rangers, as they did not need to know that their first and second in command were dating and had been for a long time. "Oh, sorry, I just thought…what did your dad have to say?"

"That we now have a woman to look after," Amy said pulling away from Max and looking over at the pink ranger. "I'll have more information tomorrow, tonight I'm not much good."

"You don't look good Amy," Rachel said as Max quietly left them to their talk as he walked to his room at the back of the Command Center. Over the years the Command Center under the Oliver's house had become much more akin to a small resort, with rooms for each ranger and a kitchen as well. It was definitely a long way from what Tommy had begun with.

"Just worried about Dad," Amy whispered as Rachel looked over at her and saw that she was barely paying her any attention. If anything, she seemed to need to talk to Max, but she had no idea why.

"And you and Max?" Rachel asked as Amy looked up at her. She hated that the only other female ranger did not know about her relationship.

"What about us?" Amy asked as she heard the thundering of footsteps and knew that Damien and Xavier had just arrived.

"I have a feeling if I hadn't walked in, the two of you would still be holding each other right now," Rachel said as Amy covered her face. "Amy, it's all right if you like the boy."

"It's more complicated than that," Amy whispered as she turned and followed Max's path out of the Command Center, heading for his room.

"What's with her?" Xavier asked as he plopped down on the couch and looked over at Rachel. "Rach, something wrong?"

"I'm not sure, but she doesn't seem happy with the new assignment that we have," Rachel said as he motioned for her to sit down beside him. "Plus, she…I think she likes Max."

"No, she loves him and for some reason they don't want us to know about it," Damien said as Rachel nodded. She had gotten that impression earlier, but she wanted to be able to talk to Amy about it, goodness knows that she needed help keeping Xavier in line some days.

"Rach, we're not going to be able to do anything until Amy gives us the specifics, I say we got fix some dinner and then maybe they'll come out and play nice. If not, we'll just hold them down tomorrow and force them to tell us," Xavier said as Rachel laughed. "What?"

"Like that ever works with Amy," Rachel said as he shrugged. She definitely had a point there.

* * *

"Max?" Amy whispered as she opened the door to his room and he looked back at her from his desk and motioned her in. He, like the others, lived down here and Amy might as well have, considering the amount of time she spent with him or working on something else. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Amy please, not tonight," Max pleaded as she looked at him and saw the pain in his eyes.

"Just tell me, I can't take secrets from you right now," Amy said as the tears rolled down her face and he walked over to her, where she was standing next to the open door and he quietly closed the door before enveloping her in a hug.

"Amy, your dad's sick," Max said as Amy nodded. She knew that, they all knew that he had a disease that was incurable. So why in the hell was he telling her this now? "No, what I mean is, he's not going to get any better Amy."

"Not get better?" Amy questioned as her breathing quickened and he swiftly went to calming her. "How would you know?"

"Because he told me," Max whispered as she let out a sob, that he was sure could be heard upstairs. "Shh, it's all right."

"Why wouldn't he tell me himself?" Amy sobbed as Max picked her up and carried her over to his bed where he laid her down and then crawled in next to her.

"I don't think that he could stand to disappoint you Amy," Max said as she looked up at him and another sob broke from her lips. "It's okay, get it all out."

"I've never had a mother Max, I can't lose him," Amy wailed as he heard the door open and with one glare had Rachel running back out. "How long have you known?"

"He told me about a month ago," Max said as Amy just stared at him. "I didn't…I didn't want to see you like this. I can't stand it."

"So you didn't tell me?" Amy asked, sounding betrayed and he looked down at the floor. She was going to kill him when this was all over, when she got over the fact that she was so upset about the news he had bestowed upon her.

"He left it up to me to tell you when the time was right," Max said as she looked up at him and his face contorted with pain. "I know, the time never would have been right, but I think he was hoping you'd take it better from me."

"Just hold me," Amy whispered as his arms tightened around her, silently obeying the plea that he not let her go.

"It'll be all right, Amy, I promise," Max whispered into her hair as she continued to sob against his chest and he lay there, waiting for her to cry herself out. He wanted to make it stop, as each sob tore at his heart, but he couldn't. He knew that her pain was excruciating and the only way he might be able to stop it was to lie to her and say that her father would survive this, when he knew that he wouldn't and he couldn't cause her anymore pain by lying to her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Tommy, do you want to eat dinner with us?" Rachel asked as she emerged from the basement into the kitchen and saw him slumped against the kitchen table, obviously asleep. "Xavier, come here."

"What?" Xavier asked as he came out into the kitchen and saw their mentor dead to the world. "You want me to get him in bed?"

"Yeah, I think he'd appreciate it in the morning," Rachel said as Xavier nodded and then went to pick up the once strong ranger. They had all seen the changes that had taken place with him over the last several months, but none of them dared to speak about it, especially in Amy's presence. She seemed to be determined that he was going to get better, when everything else was showing that he was getting much worse.

"I've never seen him like that Rachel," Xavier said as he walked back downstairs and Rachel looked over at him from her position in front of the calendar. A day had been unceremoniously marked as Amy's birthday, but she noticed that a couple of weeks later there was a block with anniversary scribbled in it.

"Is he seeing someone?" Rachel asked as Xavier shook his head no as he read the word as well and looked down at Rachel.

"I don't think he'd hide something like that from us, the fact that he's dying, yes, but not that he has someone that he loves," Xavier said as he gently tugged her hand and led her downstairs. Their mentor was a man that the barely had a grip on, but they all knew that he would tell them the important things.

"You need to eat, Amy," Max said as she sat down at the table and just took a glass of water. She knew if she tried to force any food down it would come up within minutes. "Amy…"

"I can't right now, Max," Amy muttered as the others looked between the two of them and he sighed. Why had he agreed with her to keep their relationship a secret and their friends in the dark about it? Right now she needed all of them, but most especially she needed him to do what he had been doing earlier. "Is Dad going to eat with us?"

"He was asleep on the kitchen table when I went up to ask him, so he moved him upstairs. I'm really worried about him, Amy," Rachel said as Amy's eyes filled with tears and Rachel stared as she watched their red ranger sob. This was the one ranger that never let them know what she was feeling, but right now she was in a world of pain that had absolutely nothing to do with the ranger world and everything to do with her father. "Amy, don't…"

"I got it," Xavier muttered as he scooped the sobbing ranger up into his arms and she settled her head on his shoulder. He only caught the glare from Max long enough to know that he had just made a monumental mistake. They respected the fact that the two of them choose to keep their relationship a so called 'secret', but at that moment, he knew that Max had had enough. No one else was going to comfort her, no one else was going to hold her because of the deal that they had made.

"Max," Amy murmured as Xavier looked over at her boyfriend who was standing directly behind her and merely shifted her in his arms so that she would be able to easily collapse on him.

"I didn't mean to," Rachel whispered as Max nodded his head that he knew. All of them would have been saved this if Amy had found out at the same time as they had, but Tommy had insisted that they not tell her until she was ready.

"He's just tired Amy," Max whispered as she looked up at him and then pulled him down for a kiss. All of their hiding had just been thrown out the window and after a couple of minutes he had to break away for air. "God, Amy."

"I need you tonight," Amy whispered as the others started scrambling away from them, before Amy realized what she had said in front of them and was mortified. "Max, I need you."

"All right," Max whispered to her as he gently led her back to his room. The thoughts of a slow, painful death momentarily filled his mind, but she was asking this of him and he was he to deny her? The agreement had always been that when she was ready they would have sex and it seemed like she was more than ready at the moment.

"Did she see any of us?" Rachel asked as she peaked out from behind the counter and Xavier emerged from the cupboard before Damien fell out of the of the hall closet.

"I don't think so, but next time remind me that I can't fit in that closet," Damien said as Rachel laughed. "So, do you think he'll talk her into telling us?"

"If tonight is any indication, she's not going to be left with much of a choice," Xavier said as the two others nodded. "Come on, we might as well eat supper and watch some TV, instead of waiting for them to come back."

"I don't think they will tonight," Damien muttered as Rachel and Xavier exchanged a glance. Their first time they had been able to pull themselves together and be around the rangers again, but it seemed that Damien had the impression that would not happen with the other two.

* * *

"So my daughter is dating your son?" Kim asked as Jason nodded his head that that was the case. He had thought that Tommy would have told her, but obviously he had thought it unnecessary to tell her anything. "When were you going to tell me?"

"When you asked about Amy, Tommy's right Kim, you sure do a good job of not acting like you give a damn about her," Jason said as Kim glared up at him. He was not helping the situation any. He was supposed to be the one that she could turn to about this situation, but he was starting to sound a lot like Tommy. "All he wants is to see his baby girl and the love of his life get along. I don't think that is too much to ask."

"She hates me Jason, there is nothing that I can do to change that," Kim said as Jason looked over at Trini, who quietly left the room. Whatever he had to say next was most likely something that she would not want to here.

"Well, if you'd stop being a bitch to her and Tommy, that would help," Jason said as Kim gawked at him. How could he say that to her? He was the one that had been supportive of her all this time and now he was saying this. "Look, I understood when you left Tommy and I even understood when you said you just needed some time to be alone and not have a baby, but guess what, she has grown up without you and Tommy did a damn good job by himself. Now he is begging you to help him out, she'll be in college in a couple of months and from what we've seen there are no people that could replace the team she has. They are the best that I have seen in a long time Kim and you're going to need them."

"What color is she?" Kim asked as Jason looked over at her to see the tears falling down her face. She had missed her own daughter's high school graduation because she did not want to face Tommy. Every time that she looked at the man, she felt the guilt for everything that she had done to him.

"She's the red ranger, Max is the yellow, why?" Jason asked as Kim looked away from him.

"I'm glad that she took after Tommy," Kim whispered as Jason just shook his head. "I know I have to get myself together, but how do I start to do that if she won't even talk to me?"

"One day at a time Kim and I suggest that you are friends first, not mother and daughter. It'll be years before you'll be able to claim that title after what I saw today," Jason said as Kim nodded. She knew that he was right, but she did not wish to admit it. She wished that she could go back in time and change it all, but that was not going to happen. She had wasted far too many chances with the man named Tommy Oliver.

"Thank you," Amy muttered, trying to regain her breath as Max adjusted her in his arms. He had never expected this from her, never expected the kind of passion that overtook her, but was glad all the same. She was the woman that he had fully expected her to be and then she was not that woman in oh so many ways.

"You never have to thank me, Amy," Max whispered pulling the covers over the both of them, knowing that there was a slight chance that someone might barge in on them and he did not want to let anyone else see her. She was his and no one else deserved the privilege that he had received tonight.

"Do you think that he's going to die?" Amy muttered as Max looked over at her. The question that had been plaguing her all night had finally surfaced and he took a deep breath before answering her.

"He only has about six months Amy, a year at the most," Max said as Amy barely nodded and then buried her face against his shoulder. For this being the first time that they had made love, he felt that this was too depressing of a subject to talk about, but Amy needed someone to talk to and he was the only person that she seemed to be able to get these emotions out with.

"I've got to make amends with my mom," Amy whispered as she started to drift off to sleep and he smiled down at her gently pulling her in closer, so that she would not lose any of his warmth during the night before he reached over and fully dimmed his bedside lamp. "I love you, Max."

"I love you too, Amy," Max whispered in her ear before he heard her breathing settle into a rhythmic pattern and knew that she had drifted off to sleep. He lay there for a little while, just listening to her and thinking about what tonight was going to mean to them when everything was laid out in front of them. They had not only let the other rangers know about their relationship, but basically announced that they were going to go have sex. He was sure that there would be some repercussions, but he did not care, as long as he could continue to hold her in his arms and take all of her worries away.


	5. Chapter 5

Tommy awoke the next morning, not remembering that he had walked upstairs or that he had even eaten supper. He felt stiff and his back ached as he rolled to his side and started coughing. The cough had been with him for years now, but it had gotten worse in the last several months, another sign that his body was slowly breaking down. He sat there for several minutes before it finally subdued and he was able to push himself out of bed to begin his morning routine.

Before Tommy ever knew about the disease, he started his morning with a run and usually some light karate, now he just walked over to the shower and turned it on the hottest setting that he could stand. It was the only thing that relaxed him anymore, especially considering that his baby was now on a ranger team, taking up where he had left off so many years before. It was not something that he would wish on anyone, much less his own daughter, but she was taking it exceptionally well, especially since she was the first female red in a long line of rangers.

It was at times like this that he wished that he had not let Kimberly just walk out of his life all those years ago. He had moved past being angry with her, it didn't do him any good to hold anything against her now. He just wished that he had a wife that cared about him and would hold him when the symptoms flared up, like they were this morning. Instead he got the shower with only good ole Pete and Joe to help him out. His hands did absolutely no good to massage out the tension in his muscles, which was part of the side effects he felt the most often. The other was vomiting blood, which was something that had scared the hell out of him the first time it happened. That was what had triggered the doctors to look into what might be wrong with him and he found out that he was a ticking time bomb because he had ignored the symptoms. At that point he had to refrain from telling them that he had been a Power Ranger as a teen and excruciating aches and pains were completely normal.

"Hey guys," Tommy said as he walked into the kitchen and saw Rachel, Xavier and Damien seated around the table. He found it odd that they would be eating up here, unless they had done something to piss Amy or Max off this morning.

"Hi, Dr. O," Rachel said as she looked over at him and he gave her a thorough stare, something was wrong here, he just didn't know what.

"Where are Max and Amy?" Tommy asked as he walked over to the cabinet and pulled out some Aleve to take with his breakfast.

"Max's room," Xavier answered as Rachel smacked him and he looked between the two of them, now he knew something was going on that he should definitely be concerned about.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on or do I need to go down there and find out for myself?" Tommy asked as the three rangers exchanged a glance. They did not want to risk Amy's wrath, but he had asked and they knew better than to lie to him.

"We kinda know that they're dating," Rachel said as Tommy barely nodded his head, glad that they had finally let that secret out of the bag. "And that they had sex last night."

"They did what?" Tommy all but yelled as the kids jumped away from him. The accused children then walked up the stairs only for Tommy's eyes to land on Amy, giving her a look that made her blood run cold.

"Dad," Amy started as he continued to stare at her and he held up a hand for her to be silent. She had no clue what he was doing, but when he took her away from Max and then suddenly released her hand, it took all her remaining strength not to collapse to the floor. Her entire body was sore and whereas Max had no lingering effects, she most certainly did.

"What the hell were you thinking!" Tommy yelled as Amy's face turned up to meet his as she tried to regain her balance. She knew why Max was not helping her, as her father would almost certainly yell at him not to touch her. "I thought you were smarter than that!"

"Dad, please, not now," Amy muttered as she forced herself to stand up straight, only this time to be hit by a wave of nausea, which forced her to the ground. She couldn't risk telling her father that she had quit taking the birth control and was letting Rachel have it instead, then the shit really would hit the fan.

"Oh yes now," Tommy said as he gently pulled her up before she turned away from him and vomited. "Can you guys clean that up?"

"Sure," Rachel said as she immediately left the room and saw that he was leading her back into their part of the house.

"Amy…" Max trailed off as she looked back at him with an obvious pain still evident in her eyes. He knew that this was more than just the after effects of one night together, something else was wrong with his very strong willed girlfriend for her to allow her father to lead her away like that after his ranting.

"Max, stay out of this," Tommy warned as he looked back at him and then caught a glimpse of his daughter's face and felt his heart break. He was no idiot and had known it would happen eventually, but only some of her symptoms had to deal with the loss of her virginity. There was something else wrong with his daughter and right now she did not crave his comfort, she wanted another man to hold her and tell her everything would be fine. "Amy, do you want him to come?"

"Yes," Amy whispered as Tommy nodded and then turned and signaled for Max to follow them. "Dad, I need to tell you something."

"What's that?" Tommy asked as he sat her down on the couch in his study and then walked over to his own chair.

"I think being a ranger might do odd things to someone that is pregnant," Amy said as Tommy and Max's jaws dropped. They had only had sex last night. How in the world could she know that she was pregnant? "I think it speeds up the process."

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked as he was the first to regain his voice. Max was still trying to work out how she could be pregnant if she was on the pill and then he remembered, she had gotten off of it several months ago.

"I'm sure that if you go out and buy a test, it'll show I'm pregnant," Amy said as her stomach heaved again and this time she managed to sprint off to the bathroom.

"Do you want me to call Aisha or Billy?" Max asked as Tommy looked over at him. "We've got to figure out if she's right."

"She is," Tommy muttered as Max looked over at him. He did not want to know how Tommy knew this for certain. It honestly seemed like something that he would be killed for. "She was the same Max. Kim and I had powers when she was conceived, I think I need to call her and see exactly how many days we have."  
"Days?" Max asked as Tommy nodded his head.

"Kim found out she was pregnant on a Thursday and I think that she had her within two weeks," Tommy said as Max's mouth dropped open and Tommy managed a smile. "I'd like grandchildren, maybe not this quickly, but I guess it'll have to do."

"Tommy, I'm sorry," Max started as Tommy just shook his head and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Just don't make the same mistakes that we did," Tommy said as Max looked over at him and then was pulled into a hug. "You're a good kid Max and she loves you, don't ever let her forget that."

"I'll try not to," Max said as he walked away to Amy's side and just shook his head. He felt horrible for what had happened, but he was glad in an odd sort of way. He knew that he wanted to settle down and marry Amy, he just hoped that she wouldn't run from him as her mother had from Tommy.


	6. Chapter 6

"I thought they weren't having sex," Kim ground out as she, Tommy, Trini, and Jason sat around Tommy's kitchen table that evening. Tommy had decided it would be best if he broke the news to the others as he was sure that Amy and Max couldn't take anything else being said to them at the moment.

"Until yesterday no, for some reason they decided to last night," Tommy said as they all stared at him. How in the world could he possibly be so matter of fact about this when he was a father? Why hadn't he killed Max and buried him in the backyard?

"How can you be so calm?" Kim shrieked as Tommy looked over at her and she saw the tiredness in his eyes.

"Because I've already gone crazy on the two of them once today, I don't have the energy to do it a second time," Tommy said as Kim just shook her head. She had never thought she would see the day when Tommy was so weak all the time. It was not anything like the man that she remembered. "You know exactly what it's like when you're a ranger and you're pregnant. You've got to talk to her Kim, because I don't want my grandchild to be raised like Amy."

"She's turned out great Tommy," Kim said as he just shook his head.

"But she has always needed a mother Kimberly and that is something that I couldn't be. Do you know how odd it was having to explain to her things like her period and the birds and the bees? I could tell her a guys perspective about sex, but I had no clue where to start on the period issue. I can't explain to her what this pregnancy will do to her, that's why I need you to talk to her," Tommy said as Kim looked at the ground and then nodded her head that she would do it. She didn't really see any way around it, as she was the only other female ranger that had ever experienced this sort of thing and she was not even sure that Amy would be the same.

"Are you sure that she is going to be like me?" Kim asked as Tommy nodded his head yes. "How can you be so sure?"

"I called in a favor with Aisha and got her in today. The ultrasound shows that she is roughly four weeks pregnant, which would barely show up on a test. At this rate the baby will be born in nine days," Tommy said as Kim nodded. That sounded about right to her, but she was not sure if she could deal with this. "She'll listen to you, she's scared to death right now."

"She doesn't even like me Tommy," Kim said as he let out a long sigh.

"I know and I wish that things were different between the two of you, but she knows that you are the only person that can explain this to her," Tommy said as Kim nodded and then pushed back her chair. "They're downstairs. You can tell the others to leave if you need to."

"The others?" Kim asked as Tommy just shook his head. "What?"

"The rangers live here now, they're from around the country and it was too hard for them to live somewhere else. They're all college-aged, so they just transferred. Xavier, Damien and Rachel will leave if you ask," Tommy said as Kim nodded and then walked down the hatch and into the Command Center.

"Why didn't you kill Max?" Jason asked as Tommy placed his head in his hands.

"Because she loves him Jason, I couldn't have done that to her. She's going to need him after I'm gone," Tommy said as Jason jumped out of his chair, causing Trini and Tommy to stare up at him.

"Stop talking like that damn it! You are not going anywhere Tommy!" Jason yelled as the tears fell and Trini reached for his arm. "Damn it Tommy, none of us can take it!"

"It's not easy dying either Jason. Do you think that I want to leave? Do you think I want to meet my grandchild and die within a few months? They've told me six months, two months ago. They told me not to come back. They have no hope and I've tried everything that I can, even the Aquitarians, there's nothing they can do," Tommy said as he began to cry.

"Can't you do something?" Jason asked as Tommy shook his head no and watched his best friend sob. Jason had taken it well in the last few months, but something about this had broken him down and he didn't know what. "Kim can't lose you."

"This isn't about Kim and you know it," Tommy said, evenly, as Trini looked between Jason and Tommy.

"I just…I can't imagine it," Jason said as Tommy stood and gave him a hug. It was one thing when they all thought that he would get better, but now that they knew the truth, even Jason was allowed to breakdown. To lose Tommy was something that all of them had a great deal of trouble accepting, some of them more than others.

* * *

"Amy, Max, can I talk to you two alone?" Kim asked as Max nodded and then stood, pulling Amy with him so that they could walk back to his room. "How are you?"

"I feel horrible," Amy muttered as Kim nodded as the others looked between the two of them. They didn't know exactly what was going on with Amy, only that she would not be able to perform any missions for the next week and a half or so.

"That's to be expected," Kim said as Amy looked over at her and she clamped her mouth shut. She did not want to make her mad when she was trying to help her. "What questions do you have?"

"How long will I feel like this?" Amy asked as Kim just shrugged her shoulders. She had not felt bad at all while she was pregnant with Amy. "Don't you have any answers?"

"To questions that deal with what your body will probably do, yes, but I was never sick with you," Kim said as Amy buried her face in her hands. "You're going to be fine, you are much stronger than I am."

"That's not what I'm worried about. How am I going to lead them when I am trying to take care of a baby?" Amy asked as Kim reached over and grabbed one of her hands, holding it between her own.

"Don't worry about the team, they'll be fine. Right now you've got to concentrate on you and this baby. Have you been able to eat anything today?" Kim asked as Amy shook her head no and Kim looked back at Max who met her eyes reluctantly. "Can you go get some crackers and peanut butter, as well as some Gatorade? You're going to have to force yourself to eat and try to stay hydrated, especially if your keep throwing up."

"Max, don't go," Amy said as he gave her a quick hug and then exited the room. As much as he knew that Amy did not want to be alone with her mom, he also knew that she was not going to ask some questions in front of him.

"You love him, don't you?" Kim asked, quietly, as Amy looked her in the eyes and nodded her head. "I love your father, even if you don't believe it and trust me when I say that I have always regretted what I did, but at the time I was so confused. You came along so quickly and he gave me the space he thought I needed, did everything he could and still I…there's not a day that goes by that I wonder what would have happened if I had just opened the front door and walked in that day."

"It's not too late," Amy muttered as Kim sadly shook her head that is was. "You can still show him."

"Amy, he'll want to spare me the pain of losing him, all of us, of losing him," Kim whispered as she wiped her own cheeks and then looked back up at her daughter. "I'm so sorry."

"So am I," Amy whispered as she reached over and gave her a hug. "I'm scared."

"I know that you are, but you've got Max and you've got this team. They're not going to let you down," Kim said as she heard the door open and Max then sat the food down and walked back out. Amy did not need him there to fall back on, she needed to get to know her mother and maybe that would save them from the same fate. "What do you want to know?"

"How bad will it hurt?" Amy asked as Kim sat back on her heals and looked her in the eyes.

"A lot, even carrying this baby will hurt a great deal. Your body will change more rapidly than any other woman's does during pregnancy. I'd say by midweek you'll look four to five months pregnant. By the time you deliver, you'll look the full nine. The only benefit is that your body will go back to normal in a few days. You'll be able to get back into battles within a week," Kim said as Amy barely nodded as she wiped her eyes. "Hey, don't. You love him and he loves you, that's all I need to know."

"Mom?" Amy asked as Kim stared at her. Amy had never called her that before, had never acted like she would. "Can you talk to Max?"

"Yeah, if you want me to," Kim managed as she held back the tears. She had wanted to hear Amy say that so many times before and now that she had, she knew that she had to do whatever she could, whatever was asked of her to help them all. "You tired?"

"Yeah," Amy whispered as her eyes blinked closed and she tried to keep herself awake.

"Sleep, your body needs rest," Kim said as Amy barely nodded as she laid down and Kim pulled the blanket over her.

"Mom?" Amy murmured as Kim stood in the doorway, prepared to turn out the lights.

"Yeah?" Kim said as she turned around.

"Thank you," Amy whispered as sleep overtook her and Kim smiled as the tears streamed down her face. She had never thought that she might have a chance to redeem herself for everything that she had done, but it seemed that Amy was on the road to forgiving her and maybe Amy was right. Maybe she needed to talk with Tommy after all.


	7. Chapter 7

"How is she?" Max asked at his doorway as Kim hastily wiped her face. "Hey, it's all right Kim, she has always loved you, but after everything that happened when she was younger, she had a hard time showing it. She needs you now, especially with everything that is happening with Tommy."

"I need to talk to him," Kim said as Max nodded. He completely agreed that she needed to have a long talk with their mentor, but he didn't know how much good it would do. He was just as stubborn as Kimberly at times, from what his parents had said.

"Yeah, you do and try to take it easy on him," Max said as Kim looked up the hall and saw the other three ranges attempting to not make themselves obvious. "What?"

"You haven't told them, have you?" Kim asked as Max shook his head no. Amy didn't need anymore pressure, considering what this pregnancy was likely to do to her. "This is just my advice, but I'd tell them, they deserve to know."

"She's the one that is in charge of that, not me," Max said as Kim nodded that she agreed and he then slipped back into his room. He knew that Kimberly meant well, but they both had their reasons for not telling the other rangers about it right now.

* * *

"She didn't kill you," Tommy said as Kim just shook her head as she took the seat next to him and he reached over and took her hand in his. "Thank you."

"Tommy…" Kim began as she looked up into his eyes and then down at the floor. All of the times she wanted to set things right with him, all of the times she had almost come by this house and begged for forgiveness and now, when she desperately needed it from him, he was only a shell of his former self.

"We're going to go talk with the kids," Jason said as Trini had prodded him in the ribs and he had quickly taken the hint that it was time for them to give the other two some alone time.

"God Tommy, I'm so sorry," Kim whispered as he reached over and pulled her into a hug. "I never thought that things would go like this Tommy, I just needed a little while and then it…I was afraid to come back."

"Shh," Tommy comforted as he rocked back and forth in his chair. Somehow in this exchange she had wound up sitting in his lap, but neither of them knew or cared how it happened. "Kim, it's all right."

"No, it's not. I've missed so much and I can't even begin to act like I know what to do with Amy. She is only listening now because she has to," Kim said as Tommy tilted her head up so that she had to look him in the eyes. "Tommy please, don't."

"Kim, you have got to learn that she loves you, even if she's not willing to admit it. You are her mother and whether or not that has sunk in yet, it will. You are the only one she'll have after I'm gone," Tommy said as Kim stared at him in awe. She could have never talked like this about dying, but he took it so much better. "I've gotten used to the idea that I won't be here much longer."

"Well I haven't," Kim said as Tommy just shook his head and smiled. "Why did it have to be you?"

"You want the real answer to that?" Tommy asked as Kim gave him an odd look. "Karma, I've lived through much more than I ever should have, Kimberly. It's all catching up with me now."

"Come on Tommy, we all went through near death situations," Kim said as he sighed and then motioned that he wished to stand up. She moved off his lap and then followed him up the stairs and back into, what she assumed was his study.

"But not like me. Kim, I've cheated death more times than most people even get a chance," Tommy said, sitting down in a chair and motioning for her to sit down in the other. "The last team I was on, I almost died."

"I remember," Kim whispered as he looked over at her. "I was at the hospital when they brought you in. Hayley, didn't know who I was then, just thought I was another nurse interested in helping. It was Amy that recognized me, nearly cost me my job when they found out that you were my husband. Most of them didn't even know I was married."

"Kim, some of our friends don't even think that we're still married," Tommy said as Kim barely nodded as she reached for his hand and he let her take it. "So, have you finally decided to try to make amends?"

"With you, yes. With Amy, I'm just going to have to take it a day at a time. She's still got to warm up to me, a lot," Kim said as Tommy barely nodded that that was indeed the case. He had a feeling that once he was gone, things would get better for the two of them, but he did not dare to tell either of them that, for fear that they might just decide to kill him right then and there. "This pregnancy is not going to be easy."

"I know and I think that she's getting the idea about it herself," Tommy said as Kim just shook her head.

"They need to tell the others what's going on," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her and just shook his head. "Why not tell them Tommy?"

"They don't need to know that it can happen to them as well," Tommy said as Kim looked over at him and folded her arms across her chest. "What?"

"How are you going to explain when she goes into labor?" Kim asked as Tommy looked away from her. "You know she won't give up the baby Tommy."

"I know…I'm not asking that of her either. I want it to be on Max and Amy's terms that they find out, not mine or yours, it's the right thing," Tommy said as Kim shook her head. She could not believe that he was going to sit back and let the rangers go on without knowing about their leaders' predicament, but it was his call, not hers. "You'd do something different?"

"I'd tell the kids what's going on, they deserve to know," Kim said as Tommy nodded his head that he agreed. "Have you even talked to Max and Amy about this?"

"I've talked with Max, Amy's not really understanding much right now and from what Aisha said, her hormones are all over the place, not that that should surprise you. You do remember what it was like right?" Tommy asked as Kim nodded her head yes. "Max is going to talk to Amy about it sometime tonight and they'll decide when to tell the others…it's their team, not mine."

"Come on Tommy, you can't be serious," Kim said as Tommy nodded his head that he was. She could not believe that she had lived to see the day that Tommy Oliver was handing over a ranger team without a struggle or even the slightest hint of regret in the action. She knew it meant his time was close, but even Tommy didn't know exactly when his time would come.


	8. Chapter 8

"Amy, we need to talk, sweetie," Max said as she looked at him and groaned. His smile disappeared as he sat down next to her and gently tucked her hand within his. He was not sure how she was going to take this, but he knew that he had to say something now, before he lost his nerve. "We have to tell the others."

"Why?" Amy asked as he gave her a stern look and she looked away from him. "I don't want to tell them."

"Neither do I, but it'll look weird to suddenly have a baby around here when no one was pregnant, we have to tell them. They deserve to know what's really going on with us," Max said as Amy barely nodded and reached over to pull herself up. "You want to go now?"

"Yeah, before I start feeling any worse," Amy said as Max nodded and gently guided her along to the central part of the command center. He had the feeling that he was going to have to do most of the talking and could only hope that the others would take it well. He didn't know what they would do if any of their friends reacted badly to this news.

"Look who's out of the bedroom! How are you?" Rachel said as she ran over and gave Amy a hug, who reeled from the smell of her perfume and had to firmly clamp a hand over her mouth. "You still sick?"

"Yeah," Max said as Xavier and Damien walked over to the three of them. Something was going on here, but the two of them just couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe it was the way that Max steadied her walk or the way that Amy looked so tired, but they knew something monumental had occurred.

"So what are we going to do boss?" Damien asked as Amy looked up at Max and he took in a deep breath.

"She's not doing anything for the next few weeks," Max said as they looked at him in shock. "We're going to have a baby."

"How in the hell do you know that? You had sex two days ago," Rachel said as Amy gulped and looked around at them.

"Rangers are especially fertile and we also have quicker pregnancies while we have powers. I should have the baby within the next week and a half," Amy said as their mouths dropped open and she sighed. "I'm sorry guys."

"So how long will you be out?" Rachel asked as Amy shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't thought to ask her mom that, but from the way it sounded it would only be a couple weeks, at most. "Who knows how long?"

"My mom," Amy said as she let out a sigh. "I was the same way, I just never knew it until today. Dad didn't want me to ever worry about it, I guess."

"Your mom? Are okay with this?" Xavier asked as Amy shook her head no and then looked back at Max. "I guess you don't have much of a choice about it, do you?"

"Not really, plus there hasn't been an attack in the last couple of weeks, we should be all right. We go through these month long calm periods and then a couple weeks of hell…maybe it'll keep up for a little bit longer," Amy said as Rachel placed her arm around her and led her over to the couch.

"Amy…I hate to tell you this sweetie, but when we don't want the shit to hit the fan…" Rachel trailed off as Amy smiled.

"…The shit hits the fan," Amy said as they both laughed and the boys looked between each other and then headed off to the back room, where they could escape the girlie gossip for a little while. "I really am sorry."

"Look at me…you don't have anything to be sorry for, you love the guy and being a ranger is giving you a kid faster than anyone thought possible. The two of you will be great parents," Rachel said as Amy let out a sigh. That was what so many people would think, but she knew that it wasn't going to be that easy. "You think I'm wrong?"

"No, it's just kinda hard to believe how quickly this will happen," Amy said as Rachel nodded her understanding and then flicked on the television. "What are you doing?"

"I think Max deserves some time with the guys, considering the fact he'll be changing poopy diapers soon," Rachel said as Amy smiled and they settled back on the couch.

* * *

"Man, you sure you're okay with this?" Damien asked as he passed Max a pool stick and he shook his head.

"You know that we can hide you, if you want," Xavier said with a smile as Max shook his head that that would not be necessary. Even if he did want them to hide him, Tommy would be able to find him. He was not going to let his grandchild grow up the same way that his daughter did. "Why you being so quiet?"

"It's a lot to think about, things are going to change," Max said as they looked over at him. "I sure as hell didn't plan on having a kid so early."

"Or marrying her," Damien said as Max cringed. "Dr. O hasn't lit into you about that yet?"

"Tommy hasn't even mentioned it and I don't think he will," Max said as they both gave him an odd look. "I already have an engagement ring, it's just a matter of time and now isn't the right time, he knows that."

"Does she know?" Xavier asked as Max shook his head no. He had not told Amy of his plans and he didn't plan to anytime soon, even with the baby it was something that they needed to wait on. Neither of them were ready for that sort of commitment, even if they were sure they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

"You know that this has the workings of being a complete and utter disaster, right?" Damien asked as Max nodded his head that he agreed. Every aspect of their life could be ruined if something went wrong now and that was what he was most afraid of, that she would run the same way her mother did.

"As long as she's still with me past the first three months, I think we'll be all right," Max said as Xavier and Damien gave him confused looks. "That's when Kim took off, with Amy and then she brought her back within a couple weeks."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Xavier asked as Max looked over at him. He wished that he had not been privy to some of Kimberly's discussions with his parents when he was younger, but he was and now he knew more about the failed relationship than Amy did.

"Kim and my mom are best friends, have been for years. From what my parents have told me, she crashed with them for awhile and then disappeared. Somewhere around ten years ago, she moved back to California and eventually settled down in Reefside. Over the years, I'd be sitting in the other room and after Kim had had one too many drinks, she'd start off on Tommy. Kristen and I found out more about that than we ever wanted to know," Max said as they nodded. "Now, can we just play pool?"

"Yeah, daddy to be. This'll be the last relaxing you get to do for a long time," Xavier said as Max threw a pillow at his head as he laughed. He knew that his friends were right, he just didn't quite feel like admitting that yet. He wanted to be able to think that he would be free for a little while longer, but he knew that was not the case. He had to prove to Amy that there was absolutely no reason to leave him and that they should be together. That was what concerned him the most, even if he was not willing to admit it to anyone, it did worry him.


	9. Chapter 9

"Max," Amy whispered as she rolled over in bed and gently shook his shoulder. "Max."

"Hey, what is it?" Max asked as he rolled over to face her and she reached over for his hand and placed it on her now swollen abdomen. She had been awakened by the baby kicking and she wondered if Max could feel it as well. In the last several days, she had gone through more changes than she honestly thought she could possibly go through, but she was excited. After the initial shock, she wanted this baby, she really wanted this baby. "Is that the baby?"

"Yeah," Amy said as she saw him smile in the dark and he pulled her closer, settling his hand over the baby's foot. "Max…"

"Um-hum," Max murmured as he gently rubbed her stomach and saw her eyes flutter closed and then she forced them open.

"We need to talk about names," Amy said as he nodded that they did, but he could only hope that she would be willing to wait until morning to have such a discussion. He was tired from the shopping that he had been forced to do today and needed to rest tonight. "So, what do you think?"

"Right now?" Max asked as Amy nodded her head yes and he then reached over to turn on his bedside lamp. "What do you like?"

"If it's a boy, I want to name him after my dad," Amy said as Max looked over at her and saw the tears in her eyes. "I'm gonna miss him."

"I know," Max said as he gave her a strong hug and she sobbed against him. After the revelation that Tommy was actually going to die, they had gotten pregnant and the subject had not been brought up since, with everything else that was going on it was not top priority, but now it had arisen and Amy was not taking it well. "But he's not gone yet, take this time to be with him."

"He's so mad at me Max, I can't stand to see him so disappointed," Amy said as Max closed his eyes and shifted her until she was sitting in his lap. He had been warned by his father that Amy was likely to be more emotional than normal, but he had never imagined this. He had thought of the mad, swinging at him in anger type of emotion, not hysterics.

"Amy, he loves you, he's not going to hold this against you or his grandchild, you know that," Max said, rationally, as she just shook her head that that was not so and he held in the sigh that he so desperately wanted to let out. If she was rational right now, things would be fine, but she was no where near the rational girl that he was used to being around. "Come, let's get you something to drink."'

* * *

Tommy had not been sleeping well for months, but on this particular night, not only would sleep not come, but his body was in an enormous amount of pain for someone that had done nothing today. He was used to the restless nights and had learned to deal with it with naps during the day, but this was something else, something that the doctor had warned him would come the further along the disease progressed. He had already taken twice the amount of Tylenol that he should have taken, but the pain had not decreased and he desperately wanted to sleep tonight. He knew that tomorrow was going to be another very long day.

"Hey guys, what are you doing up here?" Tommy asked as he walked into the kitchen and found Max and Amy already sitting at the kitchen table. Amy had a cup of tea in her hands and it looked like Max was digging out something for himself.

"Baby woke me up," Amy said as she looked away from him and Tommy then raised an eyebrow at Max, who just shook his head not to ask. Amy was not exactly in any condition to try to explain her thinking, to anyone. "Why are you up?"

"I never went to sleep," Tommy said as he took a seat across the table from her and Max sat down next to her with a bottle of water in his hands, wishing that it was something stronger.

"Dad, you should sleep, you need the rest," Amy said as Tommy smiled and just shook his head. She didn't know about a lot of the struggles that he had been having, it was something that he wanted to keep away from her if he could help it.

"You should listen to your own advice Amy," Tommy said, softly, as she looked up at him and saw the smile on his face. "I'll be fine, you don't need to worry about me right now."

"But I do," Amy said as he let out a sigh and reached over for one of her hands.

"There is nothing that you or anyone can do to make me better, but you can do something for me," Tommy said as she looked up at him and he shook his head. "Take good care of yourself and the baby, your child is going to need you Amy and I know that it's going to be hard over the next few months, but it'll get better and you'll have everyone here for you."

"Even you?" Amy asked as he shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know how much longer he had, but at the moment he felt like it was still a couple of months away, at the very least. They had told him the final symptoms that he would have would leave him needing care day and night, but right now he could still manage and he wanted to continue that as long as possible. "Dad, I need you."

"I know and I don't want this to happen," Tommy said as Amy stood up from the table and the two males watched her as she started pacing.

"You can stop this!" Amy yelled as he looked up at her and shook his head that he couldn't. He had tried everything within his power to find a way to stop the progression or just to give him longer, but there was nothing, in the regular world or in the ranger world. "You're the most legendary ranger of all time, you have to be able to stop this somehow!"

"I can't Amy, no matter what I try, there's no options left for me," Tommy said as Amy glared at him and then started to sob. "Amy…"

"Don't say it…everything will not be all right," Amy managed as Max stood up and wrapped her in a hug as Tommy hung his head. He had not meant to cause her any emotional distress during this pregnancy, but obviously this was something that was weighing heavily on her mind. "I can't take this."

"Shh…Amy, take a deep breath," Max whispered as he heard her struggling to take in a full breath and he stood there, knowing that she was probably just going to have to cry herself out now, but he was starting to understand. "You want to sit down?"

"No," Amy wailed as Max barely nodded and then looked over his shoulder as Tommy stood and walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol and took a couple more before he went to sit back down. He had not been able to glean much information from his parents' talks about Tommy, like he had been able to with Kim in the past. Tommy was just too guarded about everything that happened to him for him to allow someone to find out something he didn't want them to know. "Ah…"

"What was that for?" Max asked as Amy tried to stem her sobs, but was unable to manage it. "Just one word Amy."

"Cramp," Amy said as he looked over at Tommy, who barely nodded that this was normal or at least normal for a ranger pregnancy.

"Where?" Max asked as he shifted her weight onto him and gently maneuvered her to where he could scoop her up.

"My back," Amy whispered as the sobs were starting to settle into hiccups and he gently picked her up. "Put me down, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're tired, you're upset and you're working your body into hysteria. I'll take care of your back, but you have to take care of yourself," Max said as she started to object and he quickly shook his head. "No buts Amy, it's not just you anymore, that's our child you're carrying and we have to be careful."

"Okay," Amy said as she continued to hiccup/sob at random intervals. "Dad, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Tommy said as he sat back down at the kitchen table. "Get some rest Amy, we'll talk more tomorrow morning."

"Good night Daddy," Amy murmured as she was starting to drift back off in Max's arms as he gently rocked her back and forth.

"Night," Tommy said as he watched them go back down the stairs and he let out a long sigh. He knew that he had been preparing them for months for the inevitable mentorship change and that even if Amy was not pregnant things would not have gone smoothly, but this had thrown just one more monkey wrench into the mess. He was excited, but at the same time he knew what was to come and he knew that they were nowhere near as ready as he wanted them to be.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm the size of a boat Max," Amy grumbled as he helped her up and she glared at him. It was getting harder for her to move and her inner organs were starting to take a beating as well. "And I need to pee."

"I'm not going to stop you," Max responded as Amy gave him a look. "What?"

"Someone's in the bathroom, I heard them go in a little while ago," Amy said as Max gave her a confused look. He didn't understand why it was so important that she go now. "It hurts to walk up the stairs."

"Come on," Max whispered as he gently tugged her towards the stairs that would lead them into the main house and was surprised when he opened the hatch to see Kim and Tommy seated at the table, actually acting civil towards each other. Amy, on the other hand, was so focused on finding a bathroom that she didn't even think about the odd scene in front of her.

"How are you doing?" Tommy asked as Max sat down at the table and shook his head. "It'll be over in a couple of days."

"And then we'll have a baby," Max said as Tommy gave him a hard look. It wasn't that he was dreading it, it was just the fact that he had always expected to have nine months to get ready for a baby, not nine days. "It's going to be different."

"Yeah, but the two of you can handle it, if you'll just work together," Tommy said as Max nodded and then looked over at Kimberly.

"What are you doing here?" Max asked as Kim looked back at Tommy and he let out a sigh. He had just been explaining to her exactly what was going to happen when he died and she was not really taking it well.

"Finding out my job after he's gone," Kim said as Max raised his eyebrows. "New mentor."

"Amy is going to flip," Max said as Kim and Tommy nodded that they knew that was going to happen. "And you both are just going to let her go on thinking that all of this will land on her shoulders?"

"No, but I don't want to tell her that right now. She's at a point where anything stressful might cause the baby to come," Kim said as Max looked over at her. It sounded like she was talking from personal experience and from knowing Tommy could very well be true. "I almost had her early because he was forced out on a mission, she doesn't need that type of stress."

"It's a good think that Nabracks hasn't figured out that she's pregnant," Max said as Kim and Tommy nodded their heads in agreement. They most certainly agreed that it was a good thing that the monster didn't know, because if he did then Max would become a target. "By the way, what's the news about him?"

"He's rebuilding from the last fight that you had. From the latest that I've seen, it should still be about a week before he attacks again," Tommy said as Max nodded. "You'll still be the leader at that point, while Amy gets her feet back under her."

"Great," Max said as Amy walked back in and she then sat down next to him. "You feel better?"

"Yeah, at least my bladder is happier," Amy said as Kim smiled and Tommy just shook his head. In the past Amy would have never made that sort of comment in front of him, but right now it seemed that everything had changed drastically.

"How uncomfortable are you?" Kim asked as Amy looked over at her and she then looked down at the floor. "I know how much it hurts Amy, I was once there myself."

"It's mainly my back that bothers me the most, I can't seem to get comfortable," Amy said as Kim smiled and so did Tommy. "The both of you look happy."

"Happy is one way to put it," Tommy said as Kim looked over at him and he just shook his head not to mention anything that they had talked about yet. "Aisha said she's going to come out today to check up on you."

"Thanks," Amy said as she looked over at Max and placed his arm around her. "You want breakfast?"

"No, but I'm guessing you do," Max said as Amy nodded her head yes and he smiled as he helped her up and then guided her back downstairs, so that they could have some privacy of their own.

"She looks like she's holding up good," Kim said as Tommy barely nodded and she then took his hand in her own. "And you look exhausted, Tommy. I know that you need to tell me about all of this, but I think that you should wait for another day."

"Kim, if I don't do it now, how do I know that you'll even be here for another day?" Tommy asked as he let out a yawn and she smiled over at him.

"Because I want to see my grandchild as well Tommy and the only way I am going to do that is to be here, for the both of you, even if you don't want it," Kim said as he barely nodded. "Now go get some more sleep and I'll have lunch ready for you when you get ready to get up."

"You don't have to do that Kim, I'll be fine with a sandwich," Tommy said as she folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

"I'll fix you something, it's the least I can do for you right now. Go get some rest Tommy," Kim said firmly as he rose from his seat and then headed for his room upstairs. It had been so long since either of them had been on friendly terms with each other that neither of them really knew how to react any longer. Years of hate had gone on and it was not something that they could throw all behind them, but at this moment they needed each other. He needed her to take care of the team once he was gone and she needed him to tell her how to do that, but more importantly they needed to work out their problems in order to give their child any hope for a future where she might actually talk to the one that was still alive.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey," Tommy muttered as he walked into the kitchen and saw the food that she had so carefully prepared. It was obvious that she must have found the notes written in the cookbook stating what he could and could not eat. He knew that she usually would have avoided a meal like this one, but it was nice to know that she was trying, at least with him. Things with Amy still were very much up in the air.

"You look better," Kim said as he gave her a look that said there was no need to lie to him. "Okay, you don't…but I was hoping that rest would help."

"It's hard for me to sleep Kim, I'm in a lot of pain and the medicine just makes me sick, so I deal with the pain," Tommy muttered as he put food on his plate and then smiled up at her. "Thank you for this, you really didn't have to."

"But I did," Kim said as she reached over and took one of his hands in hers. "You really don't have to tell me today Tommy, I'm sure that I have a good idea about the mentorship role, I did do it with you for a team."

"Yes, but you have never been a mentor to someone that prefers to not see you ever again," Tommy said as Kim let out a sigh. "Things could have been different, but they aren't and we just have to live with it. You're going to have to learn to deal with someone that is not exactly thrilled to see you."

"I'm working on my relationship with Amy…it's just going to take some time for her to trust me," Kim said as Tommy nodded that that was certainly the truth. Kim had not done anything to make Amy believe she was trust worthy in her entire life. She had a lot of things to change if things were going to get better between the two of them.

"I don't know how much time I'll have left," Tommy said as Kim barely nodded that she understood. "And I need you to be ready to take over for me, because if you're not…things could get ugly."

"As if they haven't already gotten ugly, Tommy?" Kim asked as he let out a sigh.

"Not nearly as bad as they will be if the rangers go on without a leader, without someone that can guide them," Tommy said as she looked over at him. "Amy isn't ready, not to take my shoes, not to be a mother, to lose me, to learn to deal with you. I need you to do this and do it right."

"Okay, tell me what I'm doing," Kim said as Tommy walked over to a cabinet and pulled on a glass, the far wall turned and revealed a bookshelf, full of notebooks and other various instructional guides. "I'm not expected to catalogue all of this, am I?"

"Until Amy can, you most definitely are, every team, every member, every power that they have, because you never know when that might come in handy," Tommy said as Kim barely nodded. "This is going to be a long day."

* * *

"Can you feel the baby now?" Rachel asked as she sat down next to Amy on the couch. Max was working on lunch and Rachel could not help but think that he just needed a moment away from Amy. It was a lot for her to deal with and she was not even going to be one of the parents. She couldn't imagine how Amy and Max were feeling.

"Yeah, she moves around a lot, it's pretty painful to be honest, each day she grows bigger and faster than any normal baby would, I just want her to be here," Amy said as she rubbed her abdomen slowly, trying to relieve some of the tension.

"Why are you so sure that it's a girl?" Damien asked as he sat down across from them and Amy shrugged her shoulders.

"It's just a feeling," Amy said as Kim and Tommy walked down the stairs. "The two of you look more rested."

"Funny that you use those words," Tommy said as he led Kim back to the ranger part of the Command Center. "Restful is not the way that I would describe it at all. Stubborn woman."

"Thomas Oliver if you wish…" Kim started as he turned on her and glared.

"Don't try to threaten me Kimberly, we both know just how well that will work," Tommy said as he took her and then grabbed her arm and pulled her along. "We won't be disturbing you too much."

"Do you think that you'll ever get along with her?" Xavier asked as Max placed lunch in front of Amy and she smiled over at him.

"I don't know, she doesn't seem to give a shit about me. The only reason she's helping my father is the fact that he won't be here much longer. I don't know why he still cares for the heartless bitch, but there's nothing I can do about it," Amy said as Xavier nodded. He had not thought that she was able to be that mad since she was pregnant, but he had forgotten about the all important mood swing.

"Honey, can you take a deep breath? I'm afraid you're going to hurt someone," Max said as Amy glared over at him and he held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, you go ahead and don't calm down and we'll see what happens."

"Max, please," Amy said as Rachel placed her hand on her shoulder. "What?"

"I know that pregnant women have mood swings from hell, but in your case you might honestly do some damage, to yourself and the baby, take a deep breath, at least," Rachel said as Amy glared at her and then pushed herself up and waddled back to her room. "That could have gone better."

"She'll calm down soon enough, let's face it, it's something that happens with pregnancy," Max said as he sunk back into the chair.

"And you've been getting the brunt of it, haven't you?" Damien asked as Max barely nodded his head yes.

"I know that it shouldn't really bother me, but it's not fun, at all," Max said as he slumped down in his chair. "I want my girlfriend back."


	12. Chapter 12

"Well, Amy, the baby looks good. Everything seems to be developing normally, even if it is more rapid than a normal pregnancy. I need you to be very aware of any pains that you have, because if I remember correctly, your mother had a very fast delivery. I want you to be able to get to the hospital, get the medicine if you need it, because this is something that cannot be taken lightly," Aisha said as Amy sat up and barely nodded. She had visited every day since the test had turned out positive and now, on the eighth day, she was sure that Amy would go into labor at any moment. She meant it when she said that she did not want her to deliver at home, Tommy had done that once in his lifetime and he did not wish to do it again.

"What happens if she doesn't get to the hospital?" Max asked as Aisha looked over at him and let out a sigh. He reminded her a lot of Jason when Max had been on the way, he was so worried about things and trying to help Trini in all the ways that he could. He almost drove her crazy with the 'help' that he was giving her.

"I'm not sure, Kim wound up delivering at home, I don't want you to go through the same thing your mother did. I don't imagine that you want to have an all natural delivery," Aisha said as Amy barely nodded and then forced herself to her feet. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was go to sleep, hopefully Max would let her do that. He had wanted to talk all day, but she was spacing out, she just couldn't concentrate on anything. "Rest, that's all I want you to do."

"That's all I feel like doing," Amy said, honestly, as Aisha nodded and she then waddled out of the room back to the room that she now shared with Max.

"You don't look so good," Aisha said as Max let out a sigh. Amy had been in a mood from hell for the last day and a half and he hoped that it was only the hormones talking at this point. Some of the things that she had said made him doubt whether or not they would be able to survive this. He did not want for them to turn out like Kim and Tommy, but he felt they might very well be heading down that road.

"She hasn't really been that open to talking to me lately," Max said as Aisha nodded her head. Kim had all but shut herself away from Tommy for the last couple of days of the pregnancy. Tommy had tried everything that he knew to get her to talk to him and all he had gotten was an order to sleep on the couch and leave her the hell alone.

"Just be there, she needs you to be there," Aisha said as Max nodded his head and the older woman then gave him a hug. "She loves you, you just need to remind her of it."

"It's kinda hard to do that when she doesn't even want to look at you," Max said as Aisha released him and barely nodded that that was difficult. "I miss her."

"She's not gone," Aisha said as Max looked over at her and gave her a significant glance.

"But she has all but checked out of our relationship Aisha. I don't want my child to have the same feelings towards her that she does towards her own mother," Max said as Aisha barely nodded and Kim then walked into the room.

"Do you think she'll talk to me?" Kim asked as Max shrugged his shoulders, both he and Tommy had been getting the silent treatment for the last few days, but maybe she would treat Kim differently. "I'll try Max, I will."

"I don't know how much good it will do," Max whispered as Kim looked over at him and then placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know what it is like, trust me," Kim said as Max barely nodded his head and then watched her leave.

"Amy? Can we talk?" Kim asked as she walked into the room and Amy rolled over to face the woman that she despised with all her might.

"What do you want?" Amy asked as she forced herself to sit up and placed her hands over her swollen abdomen.

"To keep you from making the same mistake that I made all those years ago when I left your father," Kim said as Amy looked away from her. "I know what's going through your mind right now and your hormones aren't helping you any. You have to think that Max thinks you ugly and you're worried about if you can even be a mother, I understand that, but you can't take my way out. I have regretted it for years, but I never had the guts to come back and try to make things right with either of you. It took me finding out that Tommy was dying, to try to make amends with him. I don't want this to be the same with you and Max."

"I just don't know how to do any of this. I'm scared about having the baby and Max can't possibly think that I'm pretty, not like this, look at me, I look like a whale. He has to be regretting this," Amy whispered as Kim reached over and took her hand in her own. She had thought the exact same thing so many years before and she now knew that she was completely wrong about what Tommy thought. He had fallen even harder for her and then she had left them, left him with the child that they had made.

"I can promise you that he is not regretting you at this moment. He's thrilled that you are the woman that is carrying his child and that you will be the woman that he wakes up to every morning. I don't want you to have the regrets that I have Amy, I don't even know you and you're my child," Kim said as Amy looked over at her and saw the pain in her mother's eyes.

"I'm scared to talk to him, scared that he won't be the same man that I have been with for the last three years," Amy said as Kim smiled at her.

"He's not, he's trying to figure out how he's going to be a father and how he's going to be a husband to you. He's only going to become a better man because of this and you will be a better woman if you just stay," Kim said as Amy winced and let out a shaky breath. "I'll get Max."

"I'm not going to leave him, I'm just afraid that he won't like what he sees anymore," Amy said as Kim barely nodded her head as she stopped in the doorway.

"He'll like it even more, that's what your father told me after I had you, I just didn't believe him, I couldn't," Kim said as Amy winced again and she smiled. "I'll get Aisha too."

"Why would I need the both of them?" Amy asked as Kim smiled a knowing smile as Amy placed a hand over her round abdomen and let out a groan. The pain was becoming more intense, it had been a dull ache all day, but now she understood what Aisha had been warning against. For all she knew, she might already be too far gone to make it the hospital with the way that she was feeling now.


	13. Chapter 13

"Well, the good news is, you should be able to make it to the hospital. The bad news is that you might not be able to get any medicine," Aisha said as Amy winced again and Max gently rubbed her back. "If you can help get her upstairs and into the car, I'll follow you out to the hospital."

"Okay," Max said as he helped her stand and she winced again. "You want me to carry you?"

"If you can," Amy said as Max gave her a smile and then easily lifted her up. "I'm not sure how we're going to be able to handle this."

"Don't worry about me right now, worry about little one," Max said as she looked over at him and he smiled. "You're going to be a good mother, if you don't give up on yourself."

"You won't leave me?" Amy asked as he gave her a smile.

"I don't plan on it anytime soon," Max said as she smiled and then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I know it hurts," Aisha said as Amy rested her head against the pillow and tried to find somewhere inside of her that was not in pain, that she could focus on. "But I'm going to need you to push for me."

"It's okay, Amy, look at me," Max whispered as she looked over at him. "It's only going to last for a little while, but you've got to push the baby out to make it easier."

"Okay," Amy murmured as Aisha barely nodded at her and she let out a low moan as she pushed. "Come on, again, don't stop."

"You're so close," Max whispered as Amy just buried her face against him and continued to push.

"I need you to wait for a minute, let me suction the baby's mouth," Aisha said as Amy shook in Max's arms and he gently rubbed her arms.

"It'll get better," Max whispered and she barely nodded and Aisha barely nodded her head up at Max. "Go ahead, push."

"One more, one more Amy," Aisha said as Amy let out a groan and the baby landed in Aisha's hands. "You've got a little boy."

"Tommy Oliver Scott," Amy whispered as Max smiled and gave her a hug as the baby was passed up to her. "He's beautiful."

"He really is," Max said as he looked down at the baby as well. Sure, they had only been expecting for a few days, but this felt so right, to have this baby and for the two of them to be together.

"Will you go get our parents?" Amy asked as Max nodded his head yes, as one of the nurses took the baby away and checked him over.

"I love you," Max whispered as he gave her a kiss and then walked out of the room.

"You're not going to run and disappear, are you?" Aisha asked as Amy shook her head no.

"I don't want him to live with all the things that I have lived with, all the bad feelings that I have towards my mother. I understand what it was like to go through everything that she went through and I know just how scary it was. I want to be there, really be there," Amy said as Aisha smiled and then the nurse brought the baby back over to Amy.

"I don't want to lose my dad," Amy whispered as Aisha looked up at her and sighed. "It's not fair."

"He's lasted longer than he was supposed to," Aisha said as Amy barely nodded and she held onto her baby, the one that held her father's name. "So, I didn't hear his name."

"Tommy Oliver Scott," Amy said as Aisha walked over to the table, pulled off her gloves and began writing on the birth certificate. "Let me tell Dad."

"I wouldn't imagine ruining that for you," Aisha said as the door opened and their parents walked in, followed by Max.

"Dad," Amy said with a smile as he walked over and gave her a huge hug. "It's a boy."

"Yeah, he said that already. I never thought I'd live to see this day," Tommy whispered as she looked up at him and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Do we have a name for the little bugger?"

"Tommy Oliver Scott," Amy said as Tommy's eyes widened and she was shocked to see the tears in his eyes. "Dad…"

"You sure that you want to do this?" Tommy asked as Amy nodded her head yes and he then gave her another hug. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to and, it'll keep part of you with me," Amy whispered as he placed his head on her shoulder and cried. He didn't like thinking about his own death, but he knew that he was living on borrowed time. "I'm going to be okay."

"I really hope so," Tommy whispered as he gave her another kiss on the forehead and then pulled away.

"Can we get to see him too?" Jason asked as Tommy looked back at him and then took a step away. "Well, he might have your name, but he's got my nose."

"And Kim's eyes," Trini said as Amy looked up and saw her mother clinging to her father, afraid that she wouldn't be wanted any closer to her or the baby.

"Looks like your hair," Jason said as Trini nodded her head and Max climbed in on the other side of the bed and placed his arm around Amy. Kim quietly pulled out a camera and took a picture of the four of them as they looked down at the baby.

"You okay?" Tommy whispered as Kim nodded her head yes. "You can go look at him if you want."

"She doesn't want me here, she's just being nice," Kim whispered as Amy looked up at her again and she motioned for her to come over. "He's beautiful."

"Glad you think so," Amy said as she smiled up at her mother. "You want to hold him?"

"You'll let me?" Kim asked as Amy nodded her head yes and Kim carefully lifted the baby out of her arms and smiled down at him. "I'm not sure if agree with you about the nose, Jason."

"Well, he's got something from the rest of you, he's got to have something from me," Jason said as Kim smiled and Tommy turned away from them as he coughed and saw blood on his hand again. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on, but he had to, even if it was only for a little while. He was going to enjoy his grandson, for as long as he possibly could.


	14. Chapter 14

"You're home!" Rachel yelled as Amy walked into the Command Center with the newest ranger child in her arms. She was still tired, but she felt much better than anyone had expected. "He's beautiful, sorry we didn't make it out, but you weren't in the hospital that long."

"It's okay, Aisha pulled some strings to get us out as quickly as possible. There wasn't really an explanation for me being there, considering that I never was pregnant according to the hospital records," Amy said as the others laughed. "And the other advantage to a ranger pregnancy is that I'm not in nearly as much pain afterwards."

"You know you'll have to go through at least one normal pregnancy so I wouldn't gloat just yet," Rachel said as Amy just smiled. "It's good to have you back. How's your dad?"

"Wasn't a good day today," Amy said as Xavier barely nodded and she let out a sigh. "He's held on longer than he should have, I didn't know that until recently."

"So, when are we going to have our fighter back? We're going to need you to take out this thing," Damien said as Amy nodded. She knew that she was going to have to work herself back quickly. They had been lucky so far, that luck wouldn't last much longer. It couldn't.

"A couple weeks, I've been forbidden to do anything other than walk for that long," Amy said as they all nodded. "I'm going to get him settled in and then I'll come back out."

"How have you been?" Xavier asked as Max gave him a sleepy smile. "Don't like hospital beds?"

"That's not the problem. She hasn't slept well at all, so neither have I," Max said as the others looked at him. "She is really worried, Dr. O isn't doing that well right now. Kim's watching after him, but it's only a matter of time."

* * *

Tommy was lying in bed, trying to gather his energy. He knew that he was getting worse, the last few days had proven that. He didn't want any one's pity, he just wanted to be able to enjoy his time and go in peace.

"Hey," Kim whispered as she sat down next to his feet and he barely opened his eyes. "You okay?"

"It's been a long couple of days. I'm usually able to get more rest than this in one day. We need to talk, we really need to talk," Tommy said as Kim gently rubbed his leg and she could feel how thin his thighs had become. On the outside he didn't look all that different, but a touch here and a limp there gave him away. "I'm not the way you remember."

"I know and it's all right. I'm sorry Tommy, I never meant for this sort of thing to happen between us," Kim whispered as he reached over and took her hand. "I don't want you to die."

"I don't particularly want to either, but I've been lucky. To have you as a wife, to get to have Amy as my daughter, to see my grandson be born, I never thought I'd get that," Tommy whispered as she bent down and gently kissed him. He had never thought she'd act that way again towards him, but he slowly pulled her into him and truly kissed her.

"I've missed you," Kim whispered as she pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "I'll take care of the rangers, don't you worry about that anymore, you just stay as long as you can."

"I love you," Tommy whispered as she smiled and he pulled her into his side. "Don't leave, just stay with me."

"What about the kids?" Kim asked as Tommy just shook his head.

"They'll take care of themselves, just stay," Tommy muttered as he started to fade back into sleep and she slowly sat up, took off his shoes and socks, took off her own and then climbed in next to him. His hands settled around her and she slowly felt herself drifting off in his arms. They were tired from everything that had happened, but she knew it was more to him, something worse.

* * *

"You seem to be back to normal," Rachel said as Amy looked over at her. "Those aren't maternity clothes."

"I didn't ever buy any, I just wore his sweats," Amy said as Max placed his arm around her and she sunk into his side. "I'm going to need a new bra."

"Amy," Max admonished as she just shook her head at him.

"We all should be adults here," Amy said as Max barely nodded and she smiled. "He's been good so far, but I have a feeling, he's going to not sleep as good over the next few months."

"He's a baby, I'm sure that'll be the least of your worries," Damien said as Max just shook his head. He had already had to change some dirty diapers and it made him feel sick. He knew that he couldn't say that to Amy, because she had taken the worst of it, but he still didn't know how she did it.

"As long as he stays healthy we'll be fine," Amy said as Max nodded and he placed his hand over hers. "It'll be a few months before we can test him for what my dad has, hopefully it'll come up negative."

"How long is his life expectation if he does have the same disease?" Xavier asked as Max let out a sigh.

"If he has it and we find out soon enough, normal life expectancy. My dad's symptoms probably started when he was first a ranger and he probably didn't recognize that as what it was. We all go through some really bad pains, his were also attributed to the disease, he just didn't know it," Amy said as the others nodded. At that moment Tommy started crying and she slowly pushed herself up and went back to her room. She picked the crying baby up and walked back into the main room, rocking him back and forth which caused him to drift back to sleep.

"Hey," Kim said as she walked downstairs and saw her wailing grandson as he slowly calmed in her arms. "I need to talk to your crew, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, is Dad upstairs?" Amy asked as Kim nodded her head yes. "Do you need me?"

"No, you and I have talked about this enough the last couple of days," Kim said as Amy nodded and she walked up the stairs with the baby boy. If she knew that her dad would have more time, she wouldn't worry about spending time with him. Nothing was guaranteed anymore, this last week had proved that more than anything. "Hi guys."

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked as Kim sat down in Tommy's seat. She had been told that he didn't care, but she was sure that the rangers would and she was going to do it anyway, they needed to know where she stood.

"I'm talking to you about my taking over the mentorship role. I don't want you to worry about Tommy's health and how this job will affect him. He's taking off that hat now and giving it to me. I know that most of you didn't even know he had a wife and that's my fault, completely my fault. I left them when Amy was a still a baby, there's not much that I can do to change that, but I'm here until she's old enough to take over, keeping Tommy's last name all these years means that I owe them. I hope all of you can work with me," Kim said as the rangers looked at her and Max offered her a smile. Despite what she had done to Amy and Tommy years ago, he had known her since he was a kid and he couldn't hold a grudge like that.

"I think we can, somehow," Xavier said as Kim barely nodded and she looked at them.

"I miss it," Kim murmured as they all looked at her. "Okay, I missed Tommy more, but I do miss the ranger part of my life. I love my husband, even if I didn't always show it, I've only got a little while left with him, I've got to make the most of it."

"You're right about that," Amy said as she walked back downstairs. "He just passed out."


	15. Chapter 15

"You've got to be kidding me," Kim said as she jumped up and ran up the stairs. "What the hell happened Amy?"

"I'm not sure, if I knew I'd tell you," Amy said as Kim looked back at her as she leaned over him and shook his shoulder.

"Tommy, come on, wake up," Kim whispered as Tommy rolled away from her and she closed her eyes. "Come on, don't die on me now."

"I'll call an ambulance, maybe they'll be able to do something," Max said as Kim looked up at him and she barely nodded. There wasn't much more that she could do. She could only hope that Tommy would wake up and come back to them, one more time.

* * *

"Mrs. Oliver, I'm not sure how much longer he'll have. He's awake and stable at the moment if you want to go talk to him," Dr. Tyner said as Kim nodded and then stood up from her chair.

"Do you want to come?" Kim asked looking over at Amy and she shook her head no.

"I'll have a chance to do that in a little while, you go ahead and go in now," Amy said as she rocked the child back and forth in her arms. "He's not coming home this time Max."

"I know, so why aren't you saying good-bye to him?" Max asked as Amy looked over at him.

"I've said all I need to, to him a couple days ago when you and Mom went to go get some things I'd need, he stayed there with me and we talked about him going. I don't have much left to say to him," Amy said as Max nodded.

"So it's Mom now?" Max asked as Amy nodded her head yes. "About damn time."

"Max!" Amy exclaimed as he gave her a shy smile. "Yes, it's Mom, and you're right, it's time that I call her that. I've got a lot of things to learn from her, that my dad will never have the time to teach me because of this disease."

"It'll be okay, you'll be fine," Max said as Amy managed to nod and she wrapped her arms around him. "You really will be."

"I'm glad that you think so, we have to get through this, because I'm not sure that my mother will be able to make it if we're not strong for her," Amy said as Max just shook his head in denial. Kim was definitely strong enough to take it.

"She will Amy, she's an amazing woman, one that you'll finally learn enough about to truly love. She's struggled through a lot of things, including not having you or your dad for all those years. Let her make it up now," Max said as she barely nodded and then rested her head against his shoulder. "It's all going to be okay."

* * *

"Hey, " Kim whispered as she sat down next to the hospital bed and reached for his hand. Saying good-bye to him was something she didn't wish to do, not today, not ever.

"I'm not dead yet," Tommy whispered as she looked at him and saw the weak smile on his face. She didn't know how he could even manage that after everything that had happened.

"I don't know how to say good-bye to you, when I've been waiting all these years for you to not hate me anymore and now you're dying," Kim said as she wiped her eyes and he just shook his head.

"Don't think like that Kim. I've had many things that I never thought I'd be able to after I was diagnosed. Hell, I never thought I'd live to see you again or see my grandchild be born," Tommy said as he gave her had a gentle squeeze and she looked back down at him.

"I don't count," Kim said as he gave her a look.

"Yes, you most definitely do. Do you know how many years I have waited for you to be able to look me in the eye and tell me that you really do love only me? I've had no one night stands, because I couldn't look at any woman the same as you, no one will match up, no matter what," Tommy said as she stared at him and she struggled to piece together something that might be good enough to say back to him.

"I'm glad to hear it, although I can't tell you the same. I drowned my fear in that manner, but I always wished it was you, no one else can make me feel the way you do. I'm so sorry Tommy," Kim said as he quirked his eyebrow and she managed a smile.

"It's okay, come here," Tommy said patting the space next to him on the bed and she crawled in next to him. "I don't want to die alone."

"I won't leave you," Kim whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled in next to him.

"Thank you," Tommy whispered as she settled her head on his chest and he let out a sigh. This was the way things should have been for the both of them, all their married life.

"I love you, I never quit," Kim said as she gently kissed his lips and he took in a shaky breath.

"Neither did I," Tommy said as he closed his eyes and Kim smiled up at him. If she could keep him from dying, she would, he had done nothing to deserve this fate. If anything, she was the one who should deserve this, after everything she had done to all of them.


	16. Chapter 16

A week and a half later, all the Power Rangers gathered in Reefside to mourn their loss. Tommy Oliver had died in his sleep, holding the woman he loved. They all had expected it, but none of them imagined the turnout at his funeral. People that most of them only vaguely knew appeared in the crowd to say good-bye. Tommy was by no means perfect and most people didn't know about his other life, but there was standing room only in the church.

"You okay?" Max asked as Amy barely nodded her head yes. In his will Tommy had asked for Kimberly and her to speak, then anyone else was free to say what they wanted.

"We've got to defeat that bastard," Amy whispered as he silently nodded. After the visitation the night before there had been an attack. While the veteran Power Rangers ran for cover the current rangers fought for their lives.

"I know, but today is about your dad, tomorrow we'll worry about kicking ass," Max said as Thomas let out a cry and Amy started rocking him back and forth.

"Glad that you can say that in church, we're going to have to confess our sins after we murder this man," Amy said as Max cracked a smile. The two of them knew the history of rangers better than most. They knew that this was probably just the beginning of the long list of sins that they'd have to confess while in this business.

"Glad to see you smile again," Max said as she looked up at him and he rested his hand on her knee. "I've missed it."

"Thanks for being here," Amy said as he looked over at her. Where in the world would he be otherwise?

"There's no other place I'd rather be than here," Max said as she cradled the boy in one arm and reached for his hand. She had the feeling that if she let go of him, that he would no longer be real and he would disappear, just as suddenly as her father.

"Sure there are, but thank you for indulging me," Amy said as she took in a shaky breath.

"You know I love you," Max whispered as she leaned against him and closed her eyes.

"I do and we'll fix the mess that we've made once our lives are less rangery," Amy whispered back to him as he nodded in return. He knew that right now was not a good time to ask what he so wished to, there was too much going on for her to give an honest answer.

"So what are you going to say?" Max whispered as she looked over at him.

"The truth about him, I'll keep it short and sweet. I think Mom is going to have a lot more to say," Amy said as he nodded. Kim definitely was going to have things to explain that no one else had ever known about.

"I'd imagine that she would, most people here don't even know that your father was married. You're his daughter, no one questioned who your mother was, most of them know who it is," Max said as she smiled.

"I know, you going to be able to hold him?" Amy asked as he gave her a look. She was worried about he was going to be as a father, but everyone else knew that he would do just fine, he loved her and this child.

"He's been fine so far, don't worry," Max said as he took the boy out of her arms and cradled him against him. To think that he was only three weeks old and that he had already lost his grandfather, it was rough.

"Okay, it's almost my turn," Amy muttered as she rubbed her hands together.

"It's okay to cry," Max said as she nodded.

"I've done too much of that lately, this is about the good in his life, not the bad," Amy whispered as her hands reached for his one more time.

"Just do what you think is best," Max said as she stood and took in a very shaky breath.

"I'm going to be fine Max," Amy whispered as he gave her hand a quick squeeze and she then walked towards the front of the church.

"I hope you're right," Max muttered to her back as he watched her walk away. He knew that anything could happen once she got up there and he just hoped that she would be able to make it.

"I didn't right anything or try to find a way to make my father appear any better than he was. For those of you who knew him well, you knew how much he loved his job, his community and the little family that he did have. He had his flaws, like any human, but he loved me. He was the only family I knew of for many years and he never spoke a bad word about my mother, although he certainly had the right to do that. I hated her on my own right, but he taught me that in life you've got to forgive or you're likely to be bitter all your life. He freed me from all the feelings I had by being able to move on himself. He saw more than he was supposed to and I don't think he would have asked for more," Amy said as she took a step away from the small podium.

Amy quickly walked back to her seat next to Max and took Thomas out of his arms. Her head settled against his shoulder and she let out a shallow sob. He clutched her in his arms as he waited her world finally crash down around her. She had held it together well over the last two days, but now she had finally lost it.

"It's okay, we're going to make it," Max whispered as he rocked her back and forth.

"Promise not to leave me first," Amy whispered as she let out an audible sob and he managed a weak smile.

"You know I can't do that, there's no guarantee in this life," Max whispered into her hair as she continued to sob.

"Lie to me, please," Amy forced out as he just shook his head.

"I won't," Max said as she buried her face against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her as he let his own tears silently fall.

"Many of you don't know me, of if you do, you are wondering why I'm here, talking to all of you about a man that I left twenty years ago. Some of you know this, but many of you don't. I am now a widow, Tommy and I never divorced, like many of you thought, I couldn't bring myself to sign the papers. I got a call about two months ago from him, telling me that our daughter was carrying on a family tradition, I cried. A month later he called and said he needed my help…I was so mad at him for things that he did, things that anyone would have done in his position. He forgave me, a long time before I could forgive myself. I found out the day that I showed up to help, that he was dying and in the last month I can honestly say that I remembered why we got married and why he was the one that would never give up on me, although I gave him every reason to do that and much more to me. I love you Tommy Oliver and I can't wait until we meet again," Kim said as she let the tears run down her face and she quietly walked away from the front of the church, only to collapse into Jason's arms as soon as she was out of sight.

The rest of the funeral passed in a blur as various friends, co-workers, and former students got up to say a few words. The Power Rangers all sat in silence, knowing their turns would come in a much more private setting. They couldn't reveal all the good he had done and they couldn't mourn in the way needed. The Power Ranger that was known as a legendary fighter and leader, now lay in a casket, only moments from burial. He probably wouldn't have wanted all the tears over him, but no one could replace him, even Kim would have a very hard time filling his shoes, but they had to try. They couldn't let the Power Rangers die with him.


End file.
